Political Quotes

“I rise to discuss Zambia's upcoming elections and the erosion of democracy under President Edgar Lungu. On August 12, the people of Zambia will go to the polls to elect their President and members of the National Assembly. They will do so under the cloud of growing authoritarianism, with troops in the streets, protesters in prison, and dissenting voices muzzled by censorship. Indeed, many Zambians have good reason to be dissatisfied with their present government and, in a free and fair vote, might very well reject President Lungu's bid for reelection. But I fear they may not have that opportunity. For nearly 30 years, Zambians have enjoyed a relatively free and open political environment. In 1991, Zambia's founding father Kenneth Kaunda lost the country's first multiparty election in decades and gracefully stepped aside after 27 years in power. President Kaunda died in June of this year, at the age of 97, with a complicated legacy; he was a liberator, but also held an iron grip on power for nearly three decades. However, his final act of public service paved the way for democracy to take root in his country in the years that followed. Sadly, President Lungu is erasing that monumental contribution to the Zambian people. Since President Lungu's rise to power in 2014, he has used the organs of the state to intimidate his political opponents and consolidate power for his Patriotic Front--PF--party.…”